


Alive

by LadyBardock



Series: True Love [7]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Falling In Love, Fear of Death, Inspired by Dawn of the Dead, Inspired by The Walking Dead, Longing, M/M, Survival Horror, inspired by Z Nation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-08
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-07 03:10:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6782920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyBardock/pseuds/LadyBardock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Waking up after a zombie bite should not happen... at least according to Fili's knowledge. As he roams the post-apocalyptic world, slowly working out why the zombies don't really want to eat him, he quickly realises his mother kept a lot of secrets from him. Secrets why they left Russia and moved to the US, and why the stupid bite did not kill him...</p><p>As he travels around, avoiding people and trying to hide why he was limping, he stumbles on a normal settlement, full of normal sane people. Not religious fanatics or cannibals or other sick people still roaming about. </p><p>Hunger finally makes him approach them, first trading cigarettes for food and later selling information... but he couldn't stop thinking of deep brown eyes and a wide happy smile always waiting for him at the gate...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The pain in his left leg kept stopping him, he should run not walk... he should walk not limp around in a danger zone. He checked the nearest houses and could smell the death walking about. He tried to open the car in the driveway but it was locked. Walking felt safer, open areas felt safer. He limped into the house, hoping for any food. Clean sheets or anything to stop the bleeding in his leg would also do him some good. Not that the stupid bite would heal anyway.

With relief he saw that the kitchen was empty, and the door to the next room was locked. He browsed the kitchen and saw some cans and food. The water wasn’t working, but there were a few bottles of soda in one of the cupboards. After clenching his thirst, he searched the drawers for knives. He wanted to die here, but that meant not getting eaten alive. Dying on his own terms. With dignity. Being still human.

His injured leg was a stalemate, but soon he got rid of the four corpses walking about in the house. It was a sad sight, another family dead to the plague. He would join them soon anyway, the pain in his leg reminded him. All those bitten always died. He saw his friends die, he saw so many people die.

As he was eating his last meal, he was certain he would die as well.

He changed the dressing on the bite, and saw black blood flowing out. It was just a matter of time.

He laid down on the bed after stalling the door to the bedroom, he held the knife over his own head, but somehow he couldn’t do it. Soon the high fever took his consciousness away.

\-----

_He saw his mother standing in the doorway leading to the field right behind their house. His grandmother was running after some chickens and his grandfather was chopping wood for the winter. He loved to see her smile, back in Russia she would smile a lot. The sun, the flowers and their family, everything made her smile. Until the day his father was deployed far away to work in a nuclear plant. He had no idea what that was, he did not understand why she stopped smiling. And being a child he did not understand why she cried after a letter came._

_He could still smell the tobacco his grandfather’s coat always smelled. The tall blond man was carrying him to what he later knew was his father’s funeral._

_“There is nothing for you here.” His grandmother’s voice rang from afar in her strong Russian accent, indicating she was from the Kirgizstan borders._

_“Take the only thing you have left and flee.” His grandfather’s voice echoed again. “They have already taken Alosza’s children.” He pointed out, words Fili had long forgotten but which were forever hidden in his deepest memories._

_His mother seemed sad but she finally nodded. “They took him once already...” She seemed sad._

_Fili had no memory of that event, or the words that his grandmother said next. “Misha said they are testing some new drugs on our kids... her two grandkids have had a rash the last seven weeks... Fili was already taken once... He almost died after the shots the gave him... who knows what kind of devilish substances he had flowing in his blood...”_

_“I will not let them take him again.” His mother’s voice sounded sad and strong at the same time._

\-----

He gasped for air, utterly surprised he was still alive. He glanced at his watch, a fancy clockwork old watch he found in a shop. He kept winding it so it worked. “June 7th 2019 9:45” He read out loud just to hear his own voice. He had slept seven days. But he still felt human.

He got up, his whole body aching, his bladder pressing hard. He removed the bandages from his leg, the wound looked still fresh, but the black stuff stopped flowing. It he hadn’t known it was a zombie bite, he would dare say it was healing.

With huge pain he walked to the bathroom, and despite knowing that the water wasn’t working he relived himself in the toilet, like a human. He smiled when the flush actually worked. No one had clearly used it since the end came.

“Since I’m still alive I might as well try to live!” He laughed to himself after finding some clean clothes. He didn’t care if they fit or not, what mattered was that they were cleaner than his old ones. He opened the door to the bedroom, just to stand face to face with another zombie. He was too careless not to hear it, too careless not to have a weapon with him. His new life was short lived. All those thoughts rushed through his brain at the speed of light.

The zombie just stared at him. His skull was showing, there was blood all over his clothes and a distinctive deep bite on his neck.

“What the fuck?” Fili just stared back, but the zombie did not attack. Fili easily walked by it, and it didn’t even look at him. He reached for another knife and in one swift blow stabbed him deep in the skull.

After eating a bit, and feeling a bit weak he crawled back into the bedroom.

\-----

_“You’re going to like it here!” His mother was eagerly hanging curtains in his neat dorm room. When alone they always spoke in Russian, or the Kyrgyz language of his grandmother._

_“Mom you know I’d prefer to get a part time job. You should rest more.” Fili told her warmly._

_“No!” She pointed her finger at him. “You have your father’s brain, and you will work with your head and not with your hands!” She scolded him firmly. Fili felt pain thinking of how many houses she had to clean, just to get enough money so that he could study. He got a scholarship, but it wasn’t enough to pay all the bills._

_“I’ve managed worst darling!” She kissed his forehead, and Fili tried not to see the wrinkles on her face or the ruined skin on her hands. “We came here so you could have a better life!” She smiled. “So work hard, be the best... you’re more talented than your dad and you will be the best! And then when you finish I’ll be able to rest and I’ll let you take care of everything.”_

_“I love you mom!” He hugged her._

_“I love you more than anything in the world!” She smiled back._

\-----

He awoke again the next day feeling a bit better. All the last events still ringing in his head. He was trying to add up all the facts. But nothing made sense. He ate as much as he could, gathered anything he thought useful. He packed a travel pack and walked out into the open.

One conclusion came to his mind. The last zombie did not attack him. And when he thought deeper, few zombies ever showed interest him in. As he was passing by the next group of zombies, he just limped by with ease. It was as if they didn’t see him at all he finally realised.

\-----

_He could smell the fear. The last group he joined when the apocalypse came in the form of the walking dead was heading towards Denver. That’s where his mother was. But when he reached their flat it was deserted. He got a few photos and things he had sentiment for and walked on with them. Sometimes they would travel by car if they found the petrol._

_He liked the people he met. Bard was an honest man, his son Bain a few years younger than Fili was smart and cunning. They started in a big group, but with every town the group was becoming smaller and smaller, the plague taking another soul. Sigrid was evidently in love with him, she trailed him with some kind of urgency, but Fili preferred the youngest Tilda. The small girl was happy despite all the evil that happened around them, and her joy was something that reminded Fili of his own mother._

_They were stuck, in a building, surrounded by the dead. The food was going on low and with fear Fili realised they would not be able to hold out much longer._

_He could still remember the cries of pain, when the zombies got in. He saw them take down Bard, who fought gallantly. He saw them get Bain. He heard Sigrid’s cries in the distance. He held Tilda as high as he could and he ran towards the roof. That’s when they tackled him, that’s when that dreadful bite happened. Soon Tilda was ripped from his arms and there was absolutely nothing he could do. He limped away feeling broken and alone. Certain he was dead._

They did not eat him. In fact they weren’t really interested in him at all. He realised waking up. And he finally had a vague idea why. His grandmother’s words in Russian rang in his head again ‘who knows what kind of devilish substances he had flowing in his blood’.

“Who the fuck knows.” Fili mused thinking what that exactly meant for him, as the world had already ended.


	2. Chapter 2

Kili hated being fenced in. All the money his uncle had, gave them a better chance than anyone else had. The huge fortress his uncle build was meant for a nuclear war, not a zombie apocalypse, but they adapted in express speed when the first news from China was found by snooping Kili. He had no idea he found something of real importance, he just began joking about the strange blogs he found online. But his uncle at first glared at him, then read it himself and later called in Dwalin. It turned out it was true, Dwalin used all his contacts and quickly got first hand news.

Mount Dale was a place Kili had always loved, and now it was his eternal prison. The estate was vast, and fully self efficient. They had water power from the river flowing down the small mountain. They had solar panels giving warm water, and wind turbines giving electricity. His paranoid uncle also had huge underground petrol tanks, fields full of fresh produce and farm animals.

The men, most of which were his uncle’s mates from the military, build layers of fences, set patrol lines and safety zones. Thanks to electricity they had a camera system in place and motion sensors. Within their fortress many families found a safe haven. Bilbo insisted they saved as many of their neighbours as possible, and soon their system covered two big farms, and the whole small town in between.

But still it was driving Kili crazy. The idea that he already met all the people he will ever know, the idea that he already read all the books they had, that he saw all the films they had, was driving him crazy. His uncle kept laughing that the apocalypse did not stop his addiction to the internet, and Kili was as hyperactive as ever. He wanted more, and being stuck there was driving him absolutely crazy.

The day the motion sensors detected movement on the main road, Kili rushed with his bow to the guard post. He was dead curious. Last time they got visitors it was a rouge group of bikers, and after a short argument Dwalin called them to leave peacefully, which they did not. Others tried to force their way in, and apart from a few really normal people who travelled in families and really sought refuge most were not let in.

“Come here boy!” Dwalin called him and handed him the scope.

“A biker?” Kili asked puzzled with what he saw.

“More like a cyclist.” Dwalin laughed.

“Just one person?” Kili scouted the horizon.

“Seems so.” Bofur added.

“It will take him some time to get here.” Dwalin mused.

They watched the cyclist for nearly fifteen minutes, as he approached the gate he stopped his bike and left it aside a tree and walked the last several hundred meters with his hands in the air.

“What do you want?” Dwalin yelled.

“Trade!” The man replied calmly.

“What for what?” Dwalin continued the discussion from afar.

“Cigarettes and drugs for food!” The man replied.

“Prove it!” Dwalin yelled.

“And you go get your uncle...” Bofur whispered to Kili to rush for Thorin.

It took a while to drag Thorin to the gate, but when they got there it was evident Dwalin had talked quite a lot with the guest on their doorstep.

“So what does he want?” Thorin hissed at his best friend.

“To trade, cigarettes and drugs, for basic supplies.” Dwalin told him.

“Is he alone?” Thorin gazed at the silent figure now sitting on the ground and in front of him there were two boxes of cigarettes and a few packages with some drugs.

“No one else in the nearby two kilometres.” Bofur told him quickly.

“What supplies did he ask for?” Thorin asked Dwalin.

“A short but practical list. Potatoes, carrots, cabbage, he said anything really vegetables and fruit.” Dwalin told him.

“And how does he plan on taking it back with him?” Thorin’s smile surprised Kili.

“He got here by bike...” Bofur pointed to the bike next to the tree.

“Let’s face him.” Thorin told his second in command.

“Bofur, Kili, Mike and Greg stay up here and watch his every move. Be mindful of zombies as well!” Dwalin told them.

“Do you mind if we inspect your merchandise before we trade?” Thorin did not bother with introductions. He gazed at the long blond hair, and deep blue eyes. The boy was surprisingly clean for someone roaming the wilds.

“Of course Sir!” The boy stepped away from his goods giving them more comfort.

Dwalin picked up the cigarettes with a spark in his eyes, he quickly realised those were new boxes each with ten packets of cigarettes each. Thorin picked up the drugs, reading what he brought. Mainly antibiotics, two asthma inhalators and vitamins.

“Give us a while to gather the food.” Thorin nodded at Dwalin. “Are you sure you will be able to take it by bike?”

“I have no other choice.” The boy just shrugged, and in that moment Thorin realised he was only a few years older than Kili.

Thorin called Kili, and after taking a few bags they packed a solid portion of basic supplies. Wheat, bread, vegetables and some apples. It was a lot to carry, and the huge blue eyes they saw as they handed the good, made them realise he was expecting far less.

“Do you need anything else? I could drop by in a few weeks.” The boy proposed.

“Cigarettes are a never-ending need here.” Thorin just winked.

“What about drugs?” The boy asked with a smile.

“For allergies, maybe more vitamins and some cough medicine.” Thorin prompted.

“I’ll see you then!” The boy nodded. “I admire the way you got this place prepared, Bard said you were a man of many talents Thorin Durin.”

“Now you got me by surprise, you know my name, but I don’t know yours.” Thorin smiled but became very alert.

“I’m no one really. Bard was a good friend, he was trying to get here...” The boy gazed at the tall fenced area.

“What happened to him?” Thorin asked slowly.

“The same as the rest of the world, he got eaten...” The boy admitted sadly. “I have to get going...But I might come back...” He just smiled and carried the supplies to his bike.

“So what do we call you?” Kili asked from afar.

“I’m just Fili!” The blond yelled back packing his food into a camping pack, back pack and tying the bags onto the bike with skill.

“Come on it’s never safe here!” Thorin pushed Kili to go back inside.

“How can he live on the outside?” Kili mused seeing the blond ride away with difficulty, the bike heavy from the supplies.

“He seems to be doing just fine.” Thorin replied gazing at the disappearing silent figure.

\-----

The blond dropped by every three weeks like clockwork. Always at the same time. Kili was looking out for him with some kind of insistence. He kept asking him questions about the outside world. After the first three visits and getting random drugs, Oin the local doctor prepared a list of things they really desperately needed, and the boy without fail tried to bring in something from the list. The town joked he was their private scout, much more efficient than the patrol groups roaming the nearby cities.

After the first seven visits Thorin came down with a proposition.

“We’d like you to stay here with us.” He proposed lightly. “We could get you a safe place to sleep, and you wouldn’t need to worry about food and supplies.”

“Nah, I like roaming around.” Fili just smiled, but kept the real reason hidden. He knew that if anyone realised what his leg injury really was, he would be shot without a second of hesitation. His wound was over a year old, but still bled and hurt like hell.

“Our doctor could take a look at your leg.” Thorin proposed, not knowing that he nearly gave the boy a panic attack.

“It’s an old football injury, I got used to it.” Fili just shrugged.

“Maybe you would like a warm shower and a safe night? You could go back tomorrow.” Kili quickly proposed. Fili gazed at the nosy talkative boy surprised with the proposition. He didn’t mind him asking questions and looking out for him, but staying never occurred to him as an option.

“Just one night?” The boy finally asked.

“We could watch a film, or you could pick a book at the library...” Kili insisted. Thorin just smiled at the eagerness he saw in his nephews eyes.

“My husband would love to meet you as well.” Thorin grunted. “He’s really a prime chef, so expect a good dinner in the package.”

It was evident the blond was hesitating, but finally they saw a nod.

“Dwalin take the list of things the boy needs!” Thorin passed the list. “Come on!” He smiled.

Before the blond could answer Kili grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.

“You’ll love it here!” Kili began pulling only to realise he was walking  a bit too fast for the limping Fili.

“We have everything here! We fenced in the whole town, so we got a clinic, a school, a library, a fire station... We even have a swimming pool!” Kili began chatting away.

“So what would you like first?” Thorin stopped Kili’s babbling. “A shower, a film or dinner?”

“A shower would be great.” The boy finally mumbled, a bit shocked when they entered another fenced area separating the estate from the town. The mansion was surrounded by a seven foot stone wall.

“You must be Fili!” A warm voice surprised Fili beyond measure. “I’m Bilbo!”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you!” The boy nodded shyly.

“Kili show him into the room next to yours, and we’ll begin preparing dinner.” Thorin just smiled seeing the huge puppy eyes the brunet was doing towards the blond.

“Yes uncle!” Kili pulled the blond’s hand again, but this time careful not to pull hard.

“Are you sure you don’t want our doctor to look at your ankle?” Thorin proposed, he had been worried about the limping ever since he met the blond the first time.

“If doctors in the past couldn’t do anything, it won’t make sense to waste your doctor’s time now.” Fili just shrugged.

The cute brunet dragged him into a nice cosy room, soon he threw at him clean clothes and anything he thought necessary.

“I’ll come back in twenty!” He smiled radiantly and left the stunned blond in the middle of the room holding the clean clothes.

Fili walked to the bathroom, and with some kind of merriness he tested the warm running water. After undressing he quickly adjusted his bandages to the story he made up, making it seem just an injured ankle. Getting under the warm water was heaven, after two years of washing in cold water, it was pure bliss.

As he was drying his hair, already half dressed, the brunet barged in with the huge smile glued to his face. If not for the idea the world went to hell... and the lack of idea what was wrong with him, he would have approached him. The lustful glares he got now when the brunet saw his naked chest were drilling in his soul. But the pain in his ankle reminded him what was at stake. His life. If anyone found out his problem, he’d be dead.

Fili pulled on the clean t-shirt he got, and finished brushing his long hair.


	3. Chapter 3

“Bilbo is just finishing dinner, are you ready to meet rest of the family?” Kili smiled at him with some kind of radiant energy. Just like Fili’s mother had.

“Let’s go.” Fili just caught his hair in a bun and followed the brunet.

Soon he was surrounded by kids, most of them looking a lot like Bilbo, but with much darker hair. At a really fancy dinner he got to hear the story as their family decided to join Bilbo at the fort and about their dramatic journey through the wastelands. Vinca and Pearl were beautiful girls, the younger Pip a busy body. Their cousin Frodo a calm boy, but Merry another spark of energy. It was a crazy, merry bunch, and even talking about their parents they tried to remember the good things only. How they protected them, how they taught them to survive.

“So do you have any family?” Vinca suddenly asked with curiosity.

“I tried to find my mom when all this began, but she was gone.” Fili told them sadly.

“That’s sad to hear... maybe she made it?” Frodo told him gently. “At the beginning they were talking about evacuating.”

“To where?” Thorin grimaced. “All the news proved false... the safe havens the government promised were all taken down by the infected. At the start no one had any idea how to separate the inflected from the healthy.”

“I’ve been to the evacuation point in Twin Falls... there were more armed zombies there than anywhere else...” Fili just shrugged. “That was the evacuation point for Denver.”

“Don’t you have any other family?” Pearl asked worried.

“Not really. My dad died when I was a child, and what family is left, they are all in Russia.” Fili told them with ease.

“You’re Russian?” Thorin mused with a strange smile. “You speak without any accent.”

“I spent most my life here.” Fili just shrugged. “I was six when we moved to the US.”

“Russia is a huge country, what part is your family from?” Thorin asked in his fluent Russian.

Fili just grinned, he wasn’t expected to be tested, but this was the easiest way to prove he was saying the truth. “My grandmother was from Kirgizstan, my grandfather from was from Samara, my father’s family were all from Irkuck.” He answered unfazed with the language change.

“I was at the Baikal lake a few times.” Thorin just smiled. “It’s really damn cold over there.” He changed back to English so that the others would listen in.

“My father often spoke of winters of minus fifty... That’s a pretty demanding place to live. Some of his ancestors were sent there from Poland in the eighteenth century as punishment for their political beliefs, but a lot of his blood was also pure Russian.” Fili explained.

“You have a very interesting heritage.” Thorin just smiled.

“Not like that matters much in the current days.” Fili just shrugged. “As a child I liked listening to old stories, but well I haven’t had much contact with my father’s family most of my life, and my mother’s family lived in the part of Russian closest to China and Kazakhstan, so their chances were really low.”

“I kept wondering why do you prefer to live outside our safe borders? After all the help we got from you, we would love to have you as a guest here in our home.” Bilbo took charge of the discussion.

“It’s more like, I’ve seen too many people die... and I’m not really fine with seeing more people get lost to the plague.” Fili confessed hoping they would buy it.

“You were with Bard and his family...” Thorin remembered.

“We began as a group of forty... I’m the only one left. When we left Denver it was already twenty two. One by one...” Fili grimaced in pain. He didn’t have to fake that, seeing Bard and his family die changed him forever. “The worst was feeling helpless, seeing them ripped to shreds knowing there was nothing I could do to help... Most nights I wish I hadn’t seen all that... and that I hadn’t made it myself...”

“We know what you mean...” Pearl admitted with tears in her eyes. “But if we don’t trust in other people, we have nothing.”

“We saw our parents die too...” Vinca told him grimly. “And we really know what it feels like.”

“I can promise to drop by.” Fili tried to stop the grim topic. “For as long as I’m alive myself.”

“We’d really like that.” Bilbo assured him. “Time for cake!” He smiled. “I wish I had at least a little of real vanilla, but it will have to do.”

Fili just smiled. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“You can try to get it?” Bilbo mused with a kind smile.

“I’m pretty sure I know where to look for it.” Fili assured him.

“Don’t you happen to know where we could get some other stuff?” Thorin asked. “Our list of needs is pretty big.” He admitted.

“For?” Fili pretended he was considering it, deep inside he knew he would help them get anything needed, just for the kindness they showed him.

“For as many dinners as you can eat, and an open invitation to our home.” Thorin assured him.

“Sounds pretty good.” Fili just nodded.

After the tasty cake, Thorin dragged him to the town centre, Kili was a bit disappointed Thorin was more interesting to the blond than he was, but he was mistaken. Fili was deeply attracted to the beautiful dark haired boy, but it was all his fears keeping him back.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me! Fili?” Nori’s voice stopped them midway to the town hall.

“Nori?” Fili’s voice was full of surprise before his friend clutched him to his chest.

“I knew you were too smart to get eaten!” Nori laughed with tears in his eyes.

“Nori?” His brother looked at them from the doorway of the library.

“Fili?” Ori’s voice reached a peak and soon he was holding onto the blond with strength as well.

“You know him?” Thorin mused, it was a good coincidence.

“We used to live in the same dorm!” Nori exclaimed.

“You were a student at Colorado Mesa?” Kili asked remembering that Nori was a student there.

“He was one of the best!” Nori still held onto Fili. “I thought I’d never seen a familiar face in my life and here you turn out to be the one dropping off all interesting stuff.”

“How did you make it this far?” Ori asked him with insistence.

“A sad and long way.” Fili tried to bounce off the questions.

“What about your mom?” Ori asked sadly.

Fili just shook his head. “What about Dori?” He asked.

“He’s here!” Nori assured him quickly.

“He works at the supply department, calculating all the stuff we got.” Nori just shrugged.

“How did you make it out?” Fili asked slowly.

“We were evacuated with the national guard, the whole campus, but later it went to hell, so we decided to split. We landed here after many sad stories.” Nori cut it short.

“Are you going to stay here with us? We have a nice house!” Ori asked him quickly.

“I’m not staying here... But I’ll be dropping by!” Fili assured them, but both of his friends were staring at him strongly.

“I always knew you were fucking insane... but don’t you think it’s a bit too much?” Nori growled.

“You’re joking right?” Ori squeaked desperately.

“He’s not.” Nori hissed.

“We had to force him to stay just for a short while.” Thorin interrupted.

“Is this a prison?” Fili took a firm stand.

“For some of us it is...” Kili hissed.

“Come we wanted to show him around.” Thorin told them breaking the uneasy silence.

“So that means we should start from the library...” Nori noticed. “Only football training would drag him out of there!”

“Was he that dedicated?” Thorin asked kindly.

“He was fucking obsessed with being the best and keeping both his scholarships.” Nori growled still a bit disappointed.

“Both?” Kili asked.

“Football, and linguistic scholarship.” Nori growled again.

“You must have been pretty depressed when you injured your ankle...” Kili noticed slowly.

Nori and Ori both gazed at Fili surprised. “You still limp from that one?” Nori finally asked suspiciously.

“Yeah...” Fili just shrugged.

After seeing the library, town hall, taking with Dori about what supplies were needed, Fili was relived to come back. His leg was killing him.

“Are you sure you don’t want to see our doctor?” Kili asked him when they got back to the estate.

“I’m sure...” Fili grimaced trying to hide just how much it hurt.

As soon as the door closed behind Kili, he limped to the bathroom just to lock the door and check his leg. It was bleeding badly again, at times he seemed to be healed and later it would just start bleeding again. The bit mark was nice and pink, the blood healthy red, but there was no doubt it was a zombie bite mark. He quickly used some toilet paper to clear the blood, and using his supplies he dressed it again.

It was great to go to bed and not worry about safety, not that any zombies would hurt for him anymore. He still did not comprehend fully why they ignored him, but he wasn’t going to complain. His real worry was Nori, his friend was extremely smart... and it won’t take him long to work out that he used to have his other leg in plaster... and that he recovered from that injury and played several matches after that. Fili knew he was walking on a thin line.

His other huge problem was the cute brunet. The boy was glaring at him, trying to be near him at any cost. Normally Fili would not hesitate to seek his company, but now... being potentially a carrier of the zombie virus, he was scared what would that mean. Zombie virus was way more infectious than AIDS, so many it could transfer by just one kiss... maybe there was nothing left in his blood thanks to the strange drugs he was giving in his childhood, but there was no way to prove that. And he would never risk anyone’s life just for his flimsy needs. Especially someone so nice, fun and cute.


	4. Chapter 4

When the first light began shining, Fili reached for a book he borrowed from the library. A habit he always had, reading at dawn. It was good to read something new.

Sometime after nine Kili peaked in. “Did you sleep well?” The boy walked in with a huge smile and sat on the bed casually.

“Yes, Thank you.” Fili replied trying not to notice the way the boy was sitting right next to him.

“Does your leg hurt? I saw that yesterday you strained it a bit.” Kili told him trying to connected even more.

“A bit...” Fili admitted. “But it’s just something I have to live with.”

“Oin is a really good doctor...” Kili noticed shyly.

“Maybe he is... but it’s an old thing.” Fili just shrugged.

“Breakfast will be whenever you get up.” Kili told him.

“Thank you!” Fili smiled and put away the book. When he got up and limped to bathroom, Kili gazed at his bandage and went out saying that he will wait in the kitchen.

When Fili changed his bandaged again, and got dressed he gathered his things, and walked to the fancy kitchen.

Kili was chanting happily and flipping pancakes.

“Pancakes?” Fili mused.

“I hope you like them! Bilbo and Uncle went to a council meeting.” Kili smiled.

“What about the kids?” Fili was curious.

“At school.” Kili smiled putting a plate in front of him. “So would you like to see the whole town?”

“I’d better get going...” Fili tried to leave, but Kili had other plans.

“You just got here! You need to rest a bit...” Kili told him firmly. “And I bet Dwalin still hasn’t got all the supplies you asked for...”

Fili just glanced at him, and had the strong feeling that the boy simply did not want him to go anywhere. And that was not in his plans.

“I’d like to go to the library.” Fili finally decided. “I should also talk to Dori.”

“Fine!” Kili grinned with triumph.

As soon as they showed up in town a lot of people came up to them to meet the new member of their society. It felt strange to meet so many people after almost a year alone. Most of them friendly and nice. Everyone having a warm word and kind greetings.

At the library Ori was delighted to see them, and he and Kili began a huge rant about not having enough books.

“I wish we would get some more, but the looting parties always say that books are a dead weight and an unnecessary luxury.” Kili complained.

“What kind of books to you like best?” Fili asked.

“I love horror books! King, Koontz and everything really.” Kili quickly told him.

“You still probably love science fiction?” Fili asked Ori.

“I wish... we got like three books here...” Ori grimaced.

“They keep bringing practical stuff. DIY books, technical books, construction books...” Kili added. “Nothing fun really...”

“If they bring books... last time the huge guy Dwalin just laughed at me...” Ori complained. “He doesn’t understand the value of a good book!”

“Oh here you are!” Dori smiled seeing them there. “I got the list for you. And a present.”

“What is it?” Kili gazed in to the box curiously.

“A CB radio.” Fili noticed calmly. “I got my own.” He gave it back to Dori.

“Then why don’t you contact us?” Dori handed him the frequency. “We’d all love to hear that you’re alive more often than every three weeks.”

“I’ll see what I can do...” Fili nodded.

“Are you still good at technical stuff?” Dori mused with a smile. “Because we sat down last night and since you have access to a lot of strange stuff you might have a chance to get what we need...”

Dori placed a drawing on the table.

“What is that?” Kili asked surprised.

“It’s a transistor.” Fili noticed. “Probably for a kick ass big antenna.”

“Ditto.” Dori smiled. “Our old one burnt, but if we get that stupid thing working we’ll have global communication and satellite feed.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Fili grimaced.

“Just a probable location would be great.” Dori pointed out. “Our looting team could retrieve it.”

“Wouldn’t you happen need a lot of petrol?” Fili suddenly asked.

“We do have some, but there is never too much.” Dori admitted. “What do you have in mind?”

“We’d need a crane to lift it. But I know where a whole taker truck full of petrol is stuck.” Fili noticed. “By car it’s a round trip from here...”

“Come on, let’s go talk to Dwalin, he decides about any looting parties.” Dori pulled him towards the town hall.

When Fili told Dwalin about his idea, the man just grunted and passed him a map.

“It’s all the way here.” Fili pointed to the highway.

“That’s nearly forty miles.” Dwalin grunted. “You saw we’re going to need a crane?”

“And something to haul it back. It’s a 40 thousand gallon truck.” Fili pointed out.

“Are you sure it’s full?” Dori just had to make sure.

“Yes.” Fili told them. “It was full two weeks ago, and no groups have been wandering these areas in the last months. After the crazy bikers you guys shot out.”

“Those were bat crazy...” Dwalin hissed. “Do you think the truck itself is operational?”

“It was pushed into the side of the road and has fallen into a small ditch. The engine and compartment look intact, the hull is solid as well.” Fili explained. “I could guide you there the safest way.”

“I’ll call our council tonight and discus it. It’s a huge risk, and it would mean sending a big party of people and using a lot of resources.” Dwalin noticed.

“Only the council can make a decision like that.” Dori pointed out.

“I’ve been wondering kid, how the hell did you survive so well alone out there?” Dwalin asked Fili curiously.

“Moving about.” Fili just shrugged. “Staying in one place is more dangerous than changing locations all the time.”

“Have you had contact with many groups of survivors?” Dori asked him thinking of the wild bikers.

“I knew the location of three other settlements, but you’re location is the only one I considered normal.” Fili grunted.

“What do you mean?” Dwalin’s eyes went narrow.

“I observed you after the biker gang got killed on your doorstep, and after a while I realised you’re a very well organised and normal group. Still living according to the old laws and rules.” Fili pointed out.

“So you mean the others have new laws?” Dori asked.

“More like no laws...” Fili hissed and pointed to another map showing the nearby states. “Over here there is a bigger settlement than yours, around two thousand people, they call is the Last City. The ruler there is Smaug, and the people living there are basically slaves to him and his men.  Here there is a small group but even more deadly, around fifty people, but there is one basic problem, they are cannibals.”

“Just fucking great...” Dwalin grimaced, Dori gazed at Fili seriously.

“What about the last group?” Dori asked.

“They are the worst.” Fili marked their position on the map. “They formed some form of religious sect. Their leader believes that it’s the end of the world, and that zombies are here to cleanse this earth for the new dawn of humanity. Whackos, I seriously mean fucked up.”

“More fucked up than cannibals?” Dwalin could not even begin to imagine that.

“Much more. I’d rather get eaten by zombies.” Fili grimaced.

“So if any of them show up on our doorstep we should shoot first ask questions later...” Dwalin growled.

“I bet they have no idea about each other or you.” Fili made him realise. “They are pretty far away, and most groups scout only the nearby area. Now that you know where they are, you can easily avoid their locations, because if they ever spot you... well this peaceful haven you created will literarily go to hell.”

“Do you venture into their territory?” Dori asked him seriously.

“I avoid it, but I know the area well.” Fili admitted.

“If you get that transistor for the antenna, we’ll be able to track them using the satellite and make sure our location is safe.” Dwalin told Fili seriously. “If you do that, we will always support you, give you shelter and food.”

“I already got an open invitation from Thorin.” Fili just smiled.

“That’s good.” Dori hugged him.

After spending the afternoon and evening with Kili and his family, Fili got a visit from Dwalin, that first thing in the morning, he will lead a recovery party to get the tanker. Fili told him what kind of equipment might be needed and Dwalin assured him everything will be ready.

Later he had to stomach Kili’s whining all evening about going with them, Thorin was grim about the idea but Kili was so stubborn he finally decided that they didn’t train Kili to just make him sit behind locked doors.

“I’ll keep an eye on him.” Fili told Thorin calmly.

“You should, he loved getting into trouble.” The older man growled.

Fili could see the enthusiasm to see the outside world in Kili’s eyes. As they drove in the crane Kili was gazing around the view. The broken down cars, corpses walking around and demolition everywhere. Builds falling in and derelict constructions.

“How can you survive in a world like this?” Kili suddenly asked him.

“It’s not that difficult. I just know where to find stuff useful, I know where to sleep safely and how to walk and move among them.” Fili just shrugged. “My bike is usually fast enough to get away from any real danger.”

“Once we’re out there... what should I be careful of?” Kili asked curiously seeking as much information as possible.

“It’s safer out in the open, than in a dark corner. You cannot let yourself get corner and locked in. Once we get out, stay by me, and I’m serious, don’t go anywhere alone. If you need a piss, piss in front of everyone, I’ve seen people die just because of false modesty.” Fili grunted.

“I’ll stick to you.” Kili nodded firmly.

“That area is pretty calm, the tanker is stuck, but not beyond our possibilities to get it out.” Fili told him. “If the tanker is working, someone will have to drive it back, if not we’re going to have to haul it.”

“I get it!” Kili nodded eagerly. “So where do you live?”

“I move around really. I have a few safe spots.” Fili told him carefully not to say too much.

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to have a permanent home, fortify it and live inside?” Kili suggested.

“Just like you guy did?” Fili just pointed out.

“Out of my experience that does not equal to safety.” Fili made him realise. “If you have a settlement our groups might want to take it, zombies might horde it as well. Food and resources might run low, conflicts among people, romances with the wrong people and sex causing even more trouble and fights. I’ve seen three groups fall apart for stupid reasons. One group the leader thought he knew everything and made bad decisions not listening to reason. Later there was little food and even less hope. The second group was well organised, but there were a few couples from the old times... when everything goes to hell some people lose control over who they are... and well they began sleeping around and fighting.”

“What about the third?” Kili pointed out.

“That was Bard’s group. They wanted to move too fast, not gathering enough supplies on the way and not focusing enough on safety. We got over run, and that was the worst experience of my life.” Fili confessed.

“How did you make it out?” Kili suddenly asked.

“I managed to get to the roof. Later I used the fire ladder to climb down, the zombies were storming the building so I managed to run away.” Fili told him. “You cannot imagine how bad it hurts to see people you like get eaten and no matter what you would do they were lost.”

Kili’s enthusiasm died a bit. “That is really bad.” He admitted. “I cannot imagine how bad it hurts. Losing my mom hurt a lot, but that must be even worse.”

“What happened to your mom?” Fili asked.

“She died when I was six. Cancer.” Kili cut the long story short.

“I’m sorry to hear that... Thorin is your real uncle?” Fili asked.

“Yes, he took me in, and later when he married Bilbo and adopted more kids, we became a family.” Kili explained their family construction.

“So your uncle was pretty rich before the end?” Fili asked.

“Yup.” Kili just nodded.

“Here we are!” Fili made him look around as they drove into a narrow local road. “Count all the zombies you see, make sure you know where they are right now...So later you can anticipate from where they will come from.”

“There are quite a few...” Kili complained.

“This is a little...” Fili made him realise.

“Few?” Kili shivered with fear.

“Stay inside for now, I’m going to scout the tanker.” Fili told him as the other cars arrived. He already told them not to shoot all zombies in sight but to wait patiently when they arrive. Shooting always makes too much noise.

Fili easily got out and using his knife killed the first few nearby zombies, silently as a ghost.

“Damn that kid is good.” Bofur grunted to Thorin and Dwalin, as they were watching the blond clear out the nearby area.

“Do you think I could use a gun with a silencer?” Dwalin asked Thorin.

“Yup! Let’s go!” Thorin nodded and pulled out his rifle with a silencer.

As they got out they easily eliminated all the nearby zombies, silently as the blond demanded.

The blond came up and began showing them around the tanker.

“It must have been pushed off the road...” Thorin walked around the huge tanker.

“More like the driver was eaten...” Fili pointed to the driver’s seat. “Probably took a hitchhiker who was inflected.”

“Are you sure the tanker is full?” Dwalin walked to the tank and checked the pressure. The signs on the tanker were Shell so it must have been petrol.

“Let’s use the crane to lift it back on the road. Later we need to try to start the engine.” Thorin hissed. “But I have no idea who will clear the driver’s seat.”

“I’m going to do that.” Fili just shrugged as if it was not a problem.

He motioned Kili to drive the crane closer and soon with Bofur’s help they attached the tanker to the crane.

Dwalin sat in the crane seat and secured the crane on the road. When the extra stabilizers were down he slowly began lifting the tanker.

“Damn that thing is heavy...” Thorin hissed as the crane slowly began lifting the tanker.

Then he noticed Kili gesture at him. “Zombies!”

He lifted his rifle and quickly got rid of the approaching group.

“I’m glad we’re on the same side.” Fili just smirked at him.

It took a long while, but finally the tanker was back on the road. Bofur quickly detached the lines, and Dwalin began removing the extra stabilizers.

“Now comes the dirty part...” Fili hissed as he walked up into the truck. He opened the door and in one swift blow killed the driver and the inflected passenger. After kicking out the two dead bodies, ignoring the smell inside he jumped into the seat.

“Please work... please start...” He chanted to the truck. When he turned the ignition it started the first time.

He saw Dwalin and Thorin cheer.

Fili opened the window. “Get back in your trucks, I’ll guide you to the nearest place we can turn this thing around.”

He saw Bofur get into the crane with Kili, and as he began driving to the nearest parking lot, all the trucks were following him.


	5. Chapter 5

“That kid...” Dwalin hissed to Thorin in the second truck.

“What?” Thorin asked.

“He’s too good... too smart... too resourceful, and now he’s leading us into unknown territory riding in a huge tanker full of petrol. What if he’s got friends waiting to kill us on the nearest parking?” Dwalin hissed.

“I’m ready for anything... So you think we shouldn’t trust him?” Thorin glanced at his best friend.

“I’m just thinking... most people we met so far were downright evil.” Dwalin pointed out. “Gain trust, show up from time to time to make us trust him, to lower our guard, later enter our settlement posing as a friend, make us use our resources to get the tanker... and now drive the tanker... Sounds awfully like a very smart military strategy.”

“I’m going to be careful.” Thorin assured him keeping his rifle in his hands.

“You know what, let’s stop at the parking pretending we need a piss and I’ll ride with him in the tanker.” Dwalin finally decided.

“Roger that!” Thorin agreed.

Dwalin regretted his idea ten minutes later, the smell of the rotting corpses in the cabin made him quickly nauseous. Fili did not even protest when he sat in the cabin with him.

“You haven’t all been out much?” The blond noticed.

“This smell doesn’t bother you?” The huge man laughed.

“I got used to it.” The blond just shrugged. “Zombies don’t smell that bad, the worst is when someone died a human and rotted later.”

“They don’t smell bad?” Dwalin hissed.

“Somehow the blood becomes thicker and the rotting stops in an early phase.” The blond just summed up.

“How is the fuel level?” Dwalin asked.

“Good, we should easily make it all the way back.” Fili told him with a smile.

“How did Bard die?” Dwalin’s sudden question surprised the blond.

“You knew him?” Fili asked.

“He was an old friend.” Dwalin admitted.

“He died fighting till the end. We got run down in a building with low supplies, and it was really difficult.” Fili explained. “When the zombies broke in Bard was trying to stop them to give the kids enough time to run.”

“His kids made it so far?” Dwalin asked.

“Bain was a fighter like his dad, he took many down, but it was hopeless, it wasn’t just a few zombies like here, it was horde...” Fili continued.

“How did you make it out?” Dwalin asked seriously, still really suspicious.

“I tried to pull the girls to the roof, but there were too many of them. I remember running up the stairs to the roof carrying Tilda, but she was pulled out of my arms...” Fili did not hide the tears. “Most night I dream about it again and again, and I wished they made it and I died. It’s really hard to see your friends die, and with every bite their chances are gone...”

After a longer moment of silence Fili continued. “This life is not really a life anymore...” After a moment he continued his story. “I got to the roof somehow, later I found the fire stairs and walked down. The zombies were focus on the building so I just ran away...”

“I’m sorry.” Dwalin told him seriously.

“There is no point crying over things you can’t change. My mom always told me that.” Fili answered as they saw the first gates in the distance. “You want a good piece of advice?”

“Bring it on!” Dwalin told him.

“You should organise a party and block a few state roads, pushing the derelict cars and stuff, making access to this area much more difficult.” Fili told him.

“What for?” Dwalin asked.

“In case those three groups feel like roaming about...” Fili answered. “The furthest I’ve seen them is Rawlins...”

“That’s just forty miles away.” Dwalin grimaced.

“Precisely.” Fili pointed out. “And those people... well you really don’t want to meet them.”

\-----

Fili decided to stay one more night, not being able to refuse those deep brown eyes and the idea of a great cooked meal. Bilbo cooked better than anyone and sleeping a night in safety and comfort was soothing.

As he was packing his things at dawn the brunet barged into his room again.

“Do you really have to go?” Kili whined. “You could stay here... eat with us, live with us...”

“Kili, as much as I like it here... I can’t live like this.” Fili told him firmly.

“Please...” The brunet pouted. “I would really like you to stay...”

Fili gasped desperately. He really wanted to stay, among these nice sincere people. In safety and warmth and with a full belly. To see the brunet smile at him every day, to chat with him, read books with him and spend time with him. But it was impossible.

He did not predict that the brunet had enough of his tardiness and distance, and as his strong lips pressed into Fili’s, Fili almost went into a panic. The kiss was tender and soft, showing inexperience, but huge attraction at the same time. Kili in his last fight hoped that showing the blond really why he wanted him to stay would work.

But it didn’t. With terror Fili pulled away quickly, panic kicking in. What if Kili got infected from him? What if that one kiss could kill him? What if he was carrying the zombie virus?

“I thought you liked me...” Kili whined with tears in his eyes, as the blond pulled away.

“I do like you... you’re a nice kid...” Fili admitted.

“You know what I mean!” Kili began crying desperately. “I’m such a fucking idiot!” He ran out of the room blinded by tears.

Fili with huge pain gathered the rest of his things and walked to the gate.

\-----

Kili cried for several days, and no one could cheer him up. Bilbo had noticed the crush the boy had for the newcomer, it was cute, but something went wrong. The blond was also smitten with Kili, but he did not use him. Kili refused to say the details, but it was evident the blond rejected him.

“Do you think he’ll come back?” He asked Thorin.

“I have no idea...” His uncle grunted leaving the desperate boy crying his heart out.

\------

Dwalin, Bofur, Nori and Dori sat down in the town hall for a special meeting with Thorin.

“My suspicions have not been confirmed so far.” Dwalin pointed out.

“That doesn’t change the fact that nothing adds up with that boy.” Bofur hissed. “Where does he get all this stuff? Why doesn’t he want to join us? What really happened with Bard?”

“I can only speak about him from the past.” Nori told them slowly. “He used to be one of the best students, extremely smart. He was a friendly and nice person, always helping those in trouble, sincere and smiling. He changed a bit.”

“He did, but he’s still like in the past.” Dori added. “If you would ask me if you could trust him three years ago, I would say he’s the right person to walk into trouble with. But now? People change, and he has changed as well. I haven’t seen him smile so far. Clearly all that happened shook him, like most of us.”

“What makes you worried?” Dwalin noticed slowly, he got to know the Luins pretty well so when Nori suggested a meeting it meant it was serious.

Nori without a word passed him a few photos and snippets.

Thorin took a look the photo, it was a group of students posing in front of one of the halls. He could see Ori, Nori and Fili. He carefully glanced at the photo, the blond was wearing plaster on his leg. There were a few more photos from parties, and Nori pulled forward a photo where someone was drawing on the plaster.

“Why is it that his right leg was in plaster and now he’s limping on the left one?” Nori asked with a deadly voice.

“He said it’s an old injury.” Dwalin remembered.

“That’s impossible, look at the dates.” Dori pointed out.

“February 4th, 2016.” Thorin read on the photo.

“Now look at this.” Nori pushed a page from a newspaper.

It was an article about the newest win of the Colorado Mesa football team. Fili was in the front of the photo holding a trophy.

“Look at the date.” Nori told him.

“May 17th, 2016.” Thorin read.

“So you mean he played football after the injury?” Bofur concluded.

“So wrong leg, and he played football later.” Thorin growled.

“That means only one thing.” Dwalin pointed out.

“Old friend or not... he was lying.” Dori summed up. “The question is, why would he lie? And what of all the things he said were lies?”

“Now that my friend is a very good question.” Dwalin growled.

\-----

When Fili visited the next time he wasn’t met with friendly smiles for once. No Kili in sight, and the way Dwalin was talking with him was cold at best.

They quickly traded, and Fili had a strange feeling he wasn’t welcome anymore. As he rode off he felt the tears form in the corner of his eyes.

“No crying... there is no point in crying...” He tried to convince himself, but after a few miles he just stopped sat on the ground and cried his heart out.

“I’m all alone again...” He told himself when he finally composed himself and got back on the bike. “It’s time to work out how to make more food on my own.”

As he was heading towards a small farm town he already scouted he reached the house hidden in the woods.

\-----

Dwalin gazed at the bag with goods, and realised the blond was trying to give them everything they wanted. Cigarettes, and drugs. But the real shock were four books, and a bag labelled ‘Bilbo’.

“What are these?” Ori, the short red head, asked him.

“Gifts from our scouting friend.” Dwalin admitted.

“Thank you....” Ori blushed, and gazed at the titles. Books they did not have, and books that would please Kili especially.

“I need to go to Bilbo, I’ll see you later!” The huge man told him.

“Wait! Let me get these signed in and I’ll come with you!” Ori quickly wrote down the titles and gave them numbers and stamps.

“So how do you like working in the library?” The huge man asked.

“I love books...” Ori admitted shyly still blushing. Just walking next to the huge man was breathtaking.

“I’m sorry we don’t bring any new books, but you have to understand they are not priority loot.” The man apologized to him.

“I know...” Ori looked at the ground sadly.

“Next time we go out, if I see some, I’ll bring them back.” Dwalin told him gently.

“I’d really like that!” Ori looked at him and blushed even more.

“What brings you both here on this beautiful afternoon?” Bilbo’s cheerful voice greeted them.

“We bring gifts!” Dwalin yelled.

“Now that’s surprising news!” Thorin stopped reading and gazed at them.

“So what this?” Bilbo looked at the bag with surprise.

“No idea, it was labelled for you.” Dwalin told him.

Bilbo slowly opened the bag only to gasp and smile. “That darling boy he remembered!”

“What did he remember?” Thorin growled and glanced at Dwalin.

Bilbo happily pulled out his presents, cinnamon, vanilla and other baking spices. “Now I can really bake!” He rushed to the kitchen.

“I’ve got something for you.” Ori nudged the silent Kili. His friend had been behaving really strangely recently, depressed and solemn. Ori placed the four books in front of the boy.

Kili glanced at the titles and his eyes went narrow.

“Where did you get those?” Kili asked in a dry throat.

“It’s a present from Fili.” Ori just smiled. “I know you’ve been gloomy recently so maybe this will cheer you up!”

“Thank you!” Kili clutched the books to his chest.

“Did he stop by?” Thorin asked slowly.

“He left immediately after trading.” Dwalin told him.


	6. Chapter 6

It was nearly five weeks when he stopped by again, much longer than normal. What he brought made Dwalin speechless. It was the transistor for the antenna.

“What do you want for exchange?” Dwalin asked him slowly, he didn’t fail to noticed the boy was a bit slimmer than last time, and limping a bit more. He seemed sad and depressed.

Without a word he handed him a short list.

Dwalin took a look and inhaled. “It will take a bit to gather, why don’t you stop by for lunch?” He asked.

“No thank you, I’ll wait here.” The boy finally spoke and taking his bike he walked to the nearby tree, and rested under it.

“Is he here?” Kili’s voice startled Dwalin as he was carrying the list to Dori, the things there was a bit unusual.

“Yes.” Dwalin did not elaborate.

“Where is he? Did you tell him he was invited for lunch?” Kili asked him reminded him Bilbo’s request.

“He refused, he’s waiting at the gate.” Dwalin told him, and watched the kid run to the gate.

\------

Fili almost fell asleep, he was dead tired. Getting that stupid part took much more effort than anything else, and living on a simple diet, while saving more things to plant was slowly taking its toll on him. But now he was the owner of a nice potatoes field, he located a few nice apple trees, and he was hoping to get the last things he needed to have a real vegetable garden.

He knew he wasn’t welcome anymore, probably Nori worked it out, or they simply did not need him anymore. He wouldn’t be surprised to get a bullet instead of the supplies he asked for, but what the hell, it’s not like he had a choice.

He cycled nearly three days, sleeping in random places, later he had to sneak in a research facility, get the part they needed and make his way back, the long way this time. He was really lucky the scout team from the sect were loud and obnoxious so hiding from them in the right time was easy. He saw them pass his hiding spot without paying any mind to anything, roam a random shop in the area and head back towards their settlement. They seemed more aggressive now, and much slimmer as well. And Fili easily concluded they are running low on food. Just like he was.

Sitting now looking at the well fenced area he saw all the weak spots. This place was great when you think of zombies, but it will not prevent a huge group like them from entering. Cunning ruthless people had tools and skills to get in, and later all these people would be enslaved, killed, raped or simply killed. What a waste.

Now that he was not welcome, he did not bother, he tried not to care, but the idea that those beautiful brown eyes would reflect pain, nearly killed him. He did not want to see him die.

He quickly pulled a piece of paper and wrote down a short message, about his last sighting and tips on how to make it safer. That was the least he could. He did not hear the zombie come up to him, but he did hear the quiet shot as it fell.

He gazed at the wall and saw the brunet he loved so much it hurt. He was sitting there with a sniper rifle. But Fili just continued sitting there and writing.

A shade surprised him.

“You shouldn’t be down here, it’s not safe...” Fili told him in a low tired voice.

“Neither should you!” The boy spat at him angrily.

Fili just shrugged and gazed up at him. “You really shouldn’t be here!” He told him firmly.

“I’m not going anywhere without you!” Kili told him angrily. “So either you come in and eat lunch and spend some time in safety, or I’m coming with you.”

“Now that a really stupid idea...” Fili growled. “You wouldn’t survive a day on your own in the open world!”

“Try me!” The brunet hissed.

Fili just inhaled and with huge pain got up, and began limping towards the gate.

Kili felt a stab of pain seeing that walking was really difficult for the blond, and he wondered what happened that his leg hurt more.

“Are you okay?” He asked worried.

“Do I fucking look okay?” The blond growled and continued limping.

Kili followed him silently. “Let me help you...” He reached for the blond’s hand, but the blond rejected his help. As soon as they were on the other side of the gate, the sat down on the ground and rested his back against the cool wall.

“Do you want some water?” Kili asked really worried, he noticed Bofur’s suspicious gaze.

“What’s wrong with him?” He asked.

“No idea...” Kili told him. “Were you bitten?” He asked the blond, but the blond shook his head.

“I’m just hungry and tired...” The blond mumbled.

“I’ll keep an eye on him, you go get something to drink and eat. Call Oin on your way back.”  Bofur whispered to him, and Kili rushed to get everything.

“So you managed to talk him into coming?” Bilbo asked worried.

“Just pack me some food.” Kili begged him as he was pouring water into a bottle.

“Here you go!” Bilbo quickly gave him a box with pasta.

“You’re the best!” Kili rushed back, stopping at Oin’s on the way.

“What’s wrong with him?” Oin asked him as they were walking towards the gate.

“No idea... he’s been limping ever since we met him. Now he can barely walk. He seems really weak and dehydrated.” Kili noticed.

As they reached they saw Bofur still watching the boy with his gun. Fili wasn’t really moving.

“He’s fallen asleep.” Bofur told them in a low voice.

“Fili?” Kili gently shook his arm, and the blond gaze at him only half conscious.

“Would you like some water?” He pushed the bottle at him, and the blond greedily drank as much as possible.

“Are you feeling okay?” Oin knelt next to them and gently reached for the blond’s forehead. “You don’t have a fever.”

“I just haven’t eaten in a while.” The blond mumbled as he drank more water.

“Here you go.” Kili sat down next to him and opened the box Bilbo gave him, he slowly began feeding him.

“Thank you...” The blond told them. He saw Dwalin, Dori and Thorin come in the distance.

“We got everything you wanted.” Dwalin told him, slightly surprised with the sight he saw. Kili feeding the blond and the doctor examining him.

“Thank you...” Fili got up with difficulty and he reached for the bag.

“We could give you a lift.” Kili proposed quickly seeing how difficult it was for him to stand.

“You’re severely dehydrated you should rest here a few days.” Oin added.

“No thank you... I’ll manage on my own.” Fili rejected all the help.

“Thank you for the transistor.” Thorin told him and shook his hand.

“No problem...” Fili just shrugged and walked with difficulty to his bike. As he got on he felt Kili’s eyes drill in his back.

“Do you think he’ll make it safe home?” Kili asked worried.

“He’s a survivor.” Dwalin just shrugged. “What’s in that note?”

“A warning.” Thorin grunted. “The religious sect is venturing closer into our area...”

“When we get the antenna working, we’ll know their exact location.” Dwalin pointed out.

“True. We’ll also know where he lives.” Thorin followed the boy with eyes with worry.


	7. Chapter 7

Fili was feeling like crap. His head was swirling, he was still weak. But somehow he got to the nearest house and dropped dead not even bothering with the zombies. As always they just glared at him and ignored him.

With effort he ate the rest of the food Kili pushed at him, and slowly he felt asleep.

He woke up feeling a bit better, ate a bit and drank the water. As he was walking out he saw the sky go much darker.

“A storm?” He mused to himself getting on his bike and heading home.

The first drops began pouring as he reached one of his three homes, but soon as the fire was going in the fireplace and a cup of tea was in his hands, he felt much better.

What worried him was the stupid bite. It almost got him caught today, good that the doctor did not push at seeing his leg. He gently unfolded the dressing just to see it bleed again. He gazed at the book he found in one of the last locations, and what he read there gave one possible solution to his leg problem, but he wasn’t that desperate yet.

Two days later he became desperate. The bleeding did not want to stop and he could barely walk. He gazed at the spike heating in the fireplace.

“This is going to fucking hurt...” Fili drank a bit of vodka trying to prepare for what was going to come.

Feeling pain even before the metal touched his wound he scowled, but nothing could prepare him for the piercing pain. As he touched the wound time after time, covering the whole bite mark, it hurt so fucking much he thought he would faint. With huge effort he put the tool away and covered the burnt mark with a special cream with antibiotics he found in one of houses, and he lost consciousness.

He woke up nearly four days later, his leg still hurting as fuck, but the wound looked pretty good. You could still tell it was a bite mark, but the burn actually destroyed enough of the tissue to start the healing process. Ten days later it looked really good, and as his leg hurt less and less, he could only kiss the crazy book that gave him that lunatic idea.

He gazed on the map he hung in his living room, and pointed a location he did not have the means to visit before.

“Hot Springs South Dakota here I come!” He smiled to himself and began preparing for the long trip.

After packing, and picking the route, he serviced his bike a bit, and briefly wondered if he should take something bigger. But so far the bike was always good enough for scouting.

It took him a long time to get there. He stopped twice for the night, the area was pretty desolate. Lots of zombies, few places of interest.

As he got to the town he admired the beautiful architecture of the town, but soon he realised it had been looted. He picked a random house and easily broke in. After killing the few zombies around he did his normal strategy. Waited for signs of life. If the town was looted it meant someone was lurking around.

He laid low for nearly a week, but finally he noticed a group wander around. Dangerous type of people. Loud, shouting and yelling. Destroying things in their path.

“This whole fucking town is empty!” One of the man yelled.

“We won’t find any food here!” Another broke a window angrily.

“If we come back without food Azog is going to rape our asses!” One noticed really grimly.

“Let’s move on!” They go back into their cars and drove off.

Fili watched them disappear and quickly wrote down how many men, what direction they came from and where they went. His gut was telling him they would drive through this time on their way back, so he snuck into the neighbouring house to scout it. He almost whistled walking into the garage. He heard Kili complaining as they were driving for the tanker how much he always wanted one, but now there was no chance to get it. A 1971 Ford Highboy in a beautiful baby blue colour.

He returned to his post and waited for them to drive by. And they did not disappoint, they drove by, clearly they found something worth their interest and sped off in the direction they came from earlier.

They would not come soon, disappointed this town did not have things they wanted. He quickly gathered himself and in a swift motioned he began sweeping the houses. Drugs, food, books, anything useful.

A noise startled him, he crouched to the floor of the house and focused trying to analyse what he heard. A dog bark?

He gazed into the street and saw a few zombie run after a nice big black dog.

“Interesting...” He left a bag with loot in a safe place in the house and walked into the street. Slowly moving along the buildings he followed the zombies to one of the buildings in town.

“A pet shop?” He saw the sign. A few zombies were trying to storm the huge windows but the window was holding because the safety gate most way down. There was a foot gap at the bottom.

He heard dog barking but he didn’t see any people. He slowly walked to the back of the building and found a locked door, he easily picked the lock, just to hear growling on the other side.

“Good dog...” He said gently, but as he saw the dog he understood why it was so protective. It was a mother with four puppies. He walked in and closed the door behind. He saw the black dog bark at the window and soon he realised why. One zombie finally worked out how the dogs got in or out, and was now crawling under the security gate and into the dog door. Fili easily killed it, but soon he noticed the black dog was bitten.

“I’m so sorry mate...” He gently petted the dog whining in pain. He gently reached for his knife and in one swift move finished the dog off. He quickly moved something to stall the door better.

“I’m sorry Mrs Dog, but I had to.” He told the mother still looking at him with suspicion.

The puppies did not share her reservations and soon Fili had four fluffy balls in his lap.

“You chose a good place to live...” He told the dog as he scouted the shop. The dogs ripped into the huge dogs food bags and managed to survive on the food. They had a way in or out and they managed well so far.

“Don’t worry I’m not going to leave you all here...” Fili just smiled locking the door. His crazy plan was already born.

\-----

Kili almost could not believe his eyes when he saw a car drive up to the gate. It wasn’t just a car. It was his dream car, in a beautiful shade of blue.

“Trouble?” Bofur growled at him and took the scope.

“Oh it’s your boyfriend!” Bofur laughed crudely. As Fili stopped the car, they opened the gate.

“Is it Christmas already?” Dwalin laughed seeing the car Kili had been talking about for years.

“Nah, I just finished a drive around.” Fili jumped out. “Catch!” He threw the keys at Kili.

“Where did you get it?” Kili went around the truck with awe.

“I found it parked in a garage.” Fili just shrugged.

“South Dakota?” Dwalin noticed the plates. “You ventured a far away.”

“Pretty much so.” Fili admitted. “The truck is packed.”

He began unpacking his bike and the things he wanted.

When Kili opened the door he froze...

“Careful she’s very protective!” Fili told him.

“What the?” Kili was stunned when a big Labrador began licking his face like crazy.

“I found her and the babies in a small town, and well I couldn’t just leave them there.” Fili just shrugged.

“It’s not only Christmas, it’s Valentine’s day as well.” Bofur hissed to Dwalin, the huge man just chuckled.

“Dog food?” Dwalin hissed looking at the bags in the back.

“Stop please...” Kili giggled as the four puppies stormed him after their mother stopped licking him.

“Where did all this come from?” Thorin’s firm voice surprised Fili.

“All loot.” Fili told him.

“What do you want to trade this for?” Thorin asked.

“No trade today, just take the dogs, I have no means to take care of them.” Fili told him.

“You’re staying for dinner.” Kili told him firmly. “And the night, you’re not going out so late in the evening!”

“I don’t think a car and loot and dogs is a fair trade.” Thorin told them firmly. “You have to stay at least a few days.”

“I don’t want to impose.” Fili said firmly still remembering how much the rejection and feeling unwelcome hurt.

“You’re doing better with your leg.” Kili realised seeing him move around.

“Yeah, I’ve been doing some exercise strengthening the muscle and now it doesn’t hurt as much.” Fili confessed.

“Remind me, just how did you get injured?” Thorin asked as they were going home in the car.

“Old football injury.” Fili tried to drop the topic.

“Was it really?” Thorin mused but did not say more.

“Bilbo guess what we got!” Kili yelled into the house carrying the puppies.

“Puppies?” Bilbo’s joyful voice was too sweet to bear, and Fili could only smile hearing the children storm the puppies.

“You just made the day for many people.” Thorin told him as they walked into the house. “Come inside, Bilbo will be happy to see you.” Fili glared at him, there was something in that line saying that he did not want to see him there at all.

After a very tasty dinner, Kili pulled Fili into the same bedroom he slept last time.

“You really need a shower...” Kili scolded him.

“I know... I was stuck a week in a house...” Fili complained.

“Did you get me anything else?” Kili whined.

“What else would you like to get?” Fili could not stop the flirtatious question.

“A kiss...” Kili smiled radiantly. “But after you have a shower... or perhaps you’d like me to wash your back?”

Fili just stood there stunned, just the suggestion made him hot and needy. So lustful he thought he would go crazy. Before he could say anything more he saw Kili drop his clothes right where he was standing. Fili just closed his eyes feeling those hands go under his clothes and pull them off.

“Come on...” Kili pulled him into the bathroom. Fili thanked Mahal for wearing a waterproof dressing under the bandage he still used out of habit. As he felt the water hit him, he felt those gentle hands roam his body. Arousing him so much he wanted to show.

Kili held his glare and then smiled radiantly. “Can I get my kiss now?” He asked with a grin.

Fili inhaled deeply and leaned down and kissed him just like he wanted from the first day they met. Nothing happened last time, so this time he just gave it his all. He kissed him like there was no tomorrow, like the whole world would end yet again. As Kili’s arms went around his neck, Fili realised he could still play it slow. Kili was inexperienced and so lustful that he could satisfy him without going as far as real sex. He wanted that, but he would never risk Kili’s life.

As his hand reached down and boldly embraced Kili’s enlarged member, he stroked him with confidence. Kili clung to him and moaned with pleasure as the blond was working down his body. The touch was so divine and tender he just wanted more and more.

Kili was trying to guide him into real sex, but Fili was the one with more experience, so it ended with him in between his legs, holding Kili tightly.

Falling asleep with Kili in his arms was a dream come true. It was a really peaceful night, full of cuddling and tender kisses.

“So will you stay a few days?” Kili begged.

“If that’s what you want.” Fili told him gently.

“I’d like you to stay forever...” Kili whined.

Fili just inhaled deeply.

“I know...” Kili grumbled. “Just stay around a bit.”

“I will...” Fili kissed his forehead gently.

Three days of kisses, talking and snuggling. Fili gave him three days. Without real sex, but full of loving, showing just how much he loved him. How much he wanted him. As he got on his bike and drove home, it felt so bad to be alone he wanted to turn back.


	8. Chapter 8

“Bilbo can we talk a bit?” Kili asked him gently.

“What’s bothering you?” Bilbo asked him as they sat down with tea in the back garden.

“Fili... I know it might be a bit embarrassing... but I’d never ask uncle...” Kili was red as a tomato.

“What do you want to ask?” Bilbo just smiled.

“What does it feel like to have sex? Does it hurt?” Kili finally asked.

“Oh boy... so you haven’t had sex yet?” Bilbo asked.

Kili just shook his head. “We played around a lot, kissed but not the real thing...”

Bilbo just inhaled and began a long lecture about safe anal sex.

“Did he say when he would be back?” Bilbo asked later on.

“No really... but he promised to come back.” Kili told him slowly. “I was thinking... do you think uncle would be mad at me if...”

“If you went after him?” Bilbo prompted and Kili just nodded.

“He’d lock you in and tie you up.” Bilbo admitted.

“So you think he won’t let me...” Kili whined.

“Your chances are low... so you’d better be focused on convincing him to stay here.” Bilbo smiled at him. “We have enough space here in the house for one more person.”

“I will try...” Kili nodded.

\-----

“So what do you think?” Dwalin asked Thorin as they were struggling with the antenna.

“We have all the parts it’s just a matter of putting it back together.” He continued connecting cables.

“I mean about him.” Dwalin pointed out.

“He showed up with five dogs, Kili’s dream car and some supplies, and got to fuck my nephew as a reward.” Thorin grunted angrily.

“Are we going to stop him next time?” Dwalin asked.

“I’ve considered that, but on the other hand I’d rather have him out there. The information he gets us... is invaluable.” Thorin admitted. “As if he’s trying to work into our good graces.”

“It could be worse...” Dwalin hissed.

“What do you mean?” Thorin grunted.

“Kili might run off after him.” Dwalin made him realise.

“Damn, he’s actually crazy enough to do that.” Thorin hissed, when he plugged in another cable, he saw the screen turn on.

“Get Kili, we’re doing phase two.” Thorin told his old friend.

Soon they started working on connecting the antenna to their satellite system.

“Thank Mahal for our fifteen satellites!” Thorin mumbled as the antenna easily found the satellites and soon they had a world view. “Have you thought about the heat signature filter?”

“I got it all done.” Kili passed him the drive.

“Let’s see where your boyfriend lives.” Thorin hissed and began scanning the area around their location.

Soon he zoomed into a house just ten miles away from their settlement, there was a distinct heat signature. The only one in the area.

“Let’s check the three settlements he talked about and the direction he pointed out last time.” Dwalin told them. And soon under Kili’s swift fingers the satellite showed them all three settlements.

“Can you count how many people?” Dwalin asked.

A few more quick lines typed in and computer counted the heat signatures.

“Two thousand and seven. Three hundred and twenty nine, and the last one is just fifty four.” Kili read the data.

“What about the last settlement he did not know the location of?” Dwalin asked.

“Give me a moment.” Kili was frantically working. Soon the whole map of the US could be seen, and all heat signatures in the country were shown.

“We’ve found one settlement over two thousand, that one near us, four over two hundred, and quite a few under a hundred.” Kili showed the map with all the settlements.

“More people made it than we thought.” Dwalin smiled.

“If even half of them are crazy like these four groups, they mean trouble.” Thorin hissed.

“From here we can observe them all and make sure who is trouble and who is not.” Kili made them realise.

“True...” Thorin gently kissed his forehead. “I’m proud of you boy!”

“Can we print a map for Fili?” Kili asked suddenly.

“We can.” Thorin agreed.


	9. Chapter 9

“Is it me or is this group systematically changing location?” Dwalin pointed to a group of around fifty people.

“They are.” Kili admitted and zoomed in.

“Well you must be shitting me!” Dwalin hissed. “Get your uncle!”

“What is it?” Thorin rushed in out of breath.

“Do you see that?” Dwalin pointed to an enhanced satellite picture.

“You’re kidding?” Thorin stared at the screen. “Thranduil?”

“And his kid!” Dwalin pointed.

“Isn’t that Elrond and Galadriel?” Thorin pointed to other people around his old friend.

”They are on the move.” Dwalin made him realise. “It’s a caravan of two buses and five cars and three big trucks, one tanker.”

“Do you think what I’m thinking?” Thorin hissed.

“What are you both thinking?” Kili was stunned.

“They are coming this way, Thranduil knew where I was building this safe house.” Thorin grunted.

“And they are going to pass straight through enemy territory and lead them all the way to us!” Kili squeaked with realization.

“They are moving slow... so we might have a chance to get to them before they take the worst road, and lead them all the way around.” Dwalin realised.

“Get our best men, we’re swinging by our guide and we need to move!” Thorin urged him to act. “Get Nori to do satellite duty!”

“I’m coming!” Kili quickly told them.

“Don’t be an idiot!” Thorin yelled at him as they ran to the town hall.

“I have to go!” Kili told him firmly.

“Let the boy go, he’s our best shooter!” Dwalin told him as they got to the hall and reported on what was going on and later got the group organized.

When they drove by Fili’s house they saw a nice area, zombie free. It was a nice house, obviously well kept. They found Fili in the glass house behind the garage, planting some tomatoes.

“What are you doing here?” Fili asked them surprised.

“We need your help... can we please explain in the car?” Kili begged him.

“I need to get my gear.” Fili quickly took his gear and weapons and got in the car.

“So tell me...” He asked Kili after a tender kiss.

And Kili told him all about the group going their way, about uncle’s friends and the caravan they formed.

Fili changed their route a bit pointing out which roads were safer, but when they go to the crossing point with the caravan, the caravan was overrun by zombies. It was evident there was a battle with another group, but they survived, some people shooting from the roofs.

“Careful we might get shot!” Fili pulled Kili down.

“Mirkwood!” Thorin yelled.

“Durin?” A tall blond man on the roof yelled back.

“Get down, we have to run!” Thorin demanded.

“We need at least one bus!” The man yelled back.

“We’re on it!” Thorin assured him as his men began riding around the building to get the people off the roof using the fire stairs. The front was stormed by zombies and there was no way to get to the bus or two cars stuck there.

“What’s wrong with the cars?” Thorin yelled at him.

“Their tyres are shot!” Thranduil told him in a grim voice. “We walked into a fucking trap!”

“Is there anyone left in those cars?” Thorin asked on a grim note.

“Where the fuck are Fili and Kili?” Bofur suddenly realised.

“Oh crap!” Thorin growled.

\-----

Before Fili could say anything their car was over run. They were separated from the convoy by a wave of zombies, he drove up a nearby building and with huge difficulty convinced Kili to climb onto the fire ladder. As Kili was safe after killing a few zombies in their way, Fili heard the cries from the immobilized car. As the zombies were trying to jump to reach Kili he felt the sudden bite on his arm. He saw the horror in Kili’s eyes, when he realised what the bite meant. It was over. He looked back at the car to see a woman and two little girls inside. And he made his decision.

He jumped into the crowd of zombies with confidence. He knew what he was doing. As he reached the trapped car, he motioned the woman to move in the back. She swiftly took both girls in her lap. They were dead scared and crying, but the car was well fortified. The woman had beautiful long red hair, but the girls were both super cute blonds.

Fili checked the tyre but there was no chance to fix the car. The zombies were ignoring him again, so he easily moved around and told the woman to get on the roof of the car.

“Jump using me as a step!” He told her firmly pointing to the much higher truck.

“But my girls!” she scream.

“I’m going to get them, so move!” He told her.

She grabbed one of her girls, and with much difficulty got to the roof, totally scared, but with huge determination she jumped onto his shoulder just to jump onto the truck.

“Emeliana!” She cried.

“I’ll get her!” He assured her firmly and reached into the car to get the girl, he clutched her tightly to his chest shielding her as much as possible with his own body, and he began walking towards Kili. He heard shots, blessed Kili and his eye. When he got to the bottom of the ladder he virtually threw the tiny girl at Kili. And when Kili caught her with ease, Fili could finally breathe. He gazed back at the woman on the truck and walked all the way there.

There were no keys in the ignition so he quickly got it started using cables, he drove up to Kili and when he heard him jump onto the roof he drove up to a wall leading to the back of the building where the other cars disappeared.

“Fili!” Kili’s desperate cry broke his heart.

“I’m as good as dead go!” He yelled back, and disappeared into the crowd of zombie before anyone would shoot him thinking he was a zombie.

\-----

“Kili get in the car!” His uncle’s voice was firm. “What he did was very brave, so now get in!”

Kili got pulled off the wall with the woman and her two kids.

“Thank you!” She hugged him tightly. “I’m really sorry about your friend, but he saved our lives!”

Kili just cried in her arms. “He was really brave to do that...”

“He was...” Kili cried even more.

“I’m Tauriel, and these are my daughters Emeliana and Ellida.” She told him warmly. “He saved us.”

“I know it’s a poor compensation, but we’ll forever be grateful.” Tauriel told him trying to console him.

As they drove back to the settlement they realised two other people were also bitten and had to be shot. Later they quarantined everyone, but no other surprise happened.

Kili was so severely depressed he wanted to die himself.


	10. Chapter 10

Fili easily hid, he knew he would be unconscious for at least a few days. He found some chocolate bars and a few cans of soda, and he locked himself in one of the derelict houses. He dropped half dead on the bed and prayed he would make it this time as well.

_“Why do butterflies come in so many colours?” His childlike version asked his father._

_“The difference in pigmentation comes for mutations. Each type of butterfly adapted to the environment in which it lives in.” His father’s deep voice explained in Polish, the language he always used to speak to Fili. “Or perhaps they just like to be admired by people.”_

_“Does that same rule apply to people?” Tiny Fili asked wisely._

_“Of course it does. People also come in all kinds and variations.” His father replied._

_“Why did you die dad?” Kid Fili asked._

_“So that you could live son.” His father replied seriously. “So live my child.” He added._

Fili awoke feeling nauseous he moved a bit and threw up. The bite on his arm was bleeding black, he ate a bit and fell asleep again.

_“Why can you drink so much and you don’t even get a hangover?” Mike one of his college friends asked._

_“He’s Russian!” Nori reminded him with a smirk. “It has been scientifically proven that Russians have higher tolerance to alcohol.” He smiled and took a pint down in one go._

_“That’s fucking unfair!” Tony whined angrily. “Can we swap DNA?” He grinned at Fili._

_“My DNA, my shit!” Fili laughed drinking his beer._

_“You know I just read this great book on zombies attacking in Pride and Prejudice! It would be so cool for a real apocalypse to happen!” Jim laughed. “Maybe that’s also why he doesn’t die from zombie bites!” He added seriously.  
_

_“It would be really fucked up and crazy... but in reality that is a logical explanation.” Nori’s laughed echoed._

_“In reality it’s hell.” His mother’s voice shifted the dream back to their tiny apartment in Denver. “Life in Russia was hell. Fear for your family, fear what they will do.”_

_“Why didn’t granny and grandpa come with us?” Teenage Fili asked._

_“We didn’t have enough money for the tickets.” His mother scowled._

_“How did dad die?” Fili asked her suddenly._

_“There was an accident at the nuclear power plant where he worked. His death was a bad one... it was long and painful.” She admitted with tears in her eyes. “As painful as your bites... “_

He awoke dehydrated and quickly drank two cans of soda. The room smelled badly, the vomit not making it better. He gazed at the bite, and it looked a bit better.

A noise outside the window caught his attention.

“Who the fuck was that and where the fuck did they go?” A loud voice yelled. He had no idea who that was but the guy sounded pissed.

“Kyle and Duke were guarding this road and they are both dead!” Someone yelled back.

“I bet they went North! That’s the only empty road...” Another man answered.

Fili felt panic kick in. Kili was North. With huge difficulty, still extremely weak he forced himself to stand up. He ate the food he found and on trembling legs he opened the door. He walked down careful not to make any noise.

As the group rode off to their settlement, probably to regroup and head north, Fili noticed a speed bike leaning against the wall nearby. Feeling huge pain in his arm he tried to start it, and with relief realised there was still some petrol in it. Enough to make it to the police station in Laramie. He prayed to Mahal there was a CB radio there.

\-----

Dwalin was stunned when he heard a call out on the radio.

“Fili?” He asked stunned. “How the hell are you still alive?”

“Just barely... you’re in deep shit... they are coming your way...” He rasped into the microphone and left the radio station.

“What the fuck was that?” Thorin sat there stunned.

“A calling with a warning from a ghost.” Dwalin hissed. “We need to get ready to defend!”

\-----

Dwalin with all his military experience decided to lead the battle away from their home. They stalled all roads leading towards the fortress and installed automatic motion sensory guns. Thorin had prepared for anything, they had weapons most people did not realise existed, straight from the Erebor Inc experimental labs. When the group actually arrived no one was there to meet them, just a few well set traps. They stood no chance. When they went to check on the attackers, they found the cars destroyed and people either dead or zombiefied.

\-----

As a few weeks passed Kili was slowly thinking of a million ways to kill himself. He missed Fili so much. He just wanted to see him one last time. All the people Fili saved, what his did, was so great and gallant, which only made him even more worth all his love. But Fili was dead, bitten by a zombie. Kili just wished he had the chance to ease his pain.

He was staring into the distance, when he saw someone walking towards the gate. At first he thought it was another zombie, but as he gazed at the scope he saw a sign ‘Don’t shoot’.

“What the?” Bofur growled next to him.

Kili took a closer look and a gasp left his mouth “Fili!” without really thinking he jumped off the wall and ran as fast as possible. As soon as he made it he ran into the warm arms of the only person he loved. A very alive person he loved.

“I thought you died!” Kili cried.

“I almost did.” Fili admitted and held him tightly.

“How the fuck did he make it out alive?” Dwalin asked Thorin.

“Now that’s a question I’d love to know the answer to.” Elrond admitted standing next to them. “I’m sure I saw him get bitten.”

“Show me your arm!” Thorin demanded as they made it to the gate.

Fili gazed up and slowly unwrapped the bandage. Showing a dressing.

“Take off the dressing.” Elrond spoke dryly.

Slowly Fili did, showing the burnt down bite.

“Now that is one interesting bite.” Elrond smiled. “I’d love to get a sample of your blood.”

“Open the gate!” Thorin decided.

“Tell me you’re not going to leave...” Kili demanded as they walked in.

“I’m not going anywhere...” Fili kissed him gently.

\------

“Interesting blood samples...” Elrond gazed at Fili’s blood under a microscope.

“Do you think we have a chance to make a vaccine?” Thranduil mused as they were working on the samples.

“If not, we still got a zombie proof soldier.” Elrond smiled.

THE END


End file.
